Tag Archives: e39 facelift

The BMW E39 5-series was produced from 09/1995-06/2003 for the 1996-2003 model years. In September of 2000, for the 2001 model year, BMW gave the E39 a facelift. This means that the E39 chassis was updated, renewed both technologically and aesthetically for a few more years of production.

Even outside of the big 2001 facelift, things with the E39 changed each year. This article will summarize the changes BMW made to US-spec vehicles throughout production. Continue reading →

We all know that buying a 1997-2000 BMW E39 is cheaper. There seem to be more of them for sale, and those that are found are almost always several thousand dollars less than their 2001-2003 counterparts. There is a reason for this: cosmetics.

Other than the ‘face-lift’ cosmetic changes, BMW didn’t really change a whole lot on these cars. A few new colors, standard features, but nothing like updates between iPhone generations. Let’s first be clear with what the ‘face-lift’ did for the E39: